HUNSTVILLE, Ala. – Two double podiums and two overall world cup titles capped the first U.S.-hosted UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup for Team USA in Huntsville on Memorial Day weekend at Cummings Research Park.
Paralympians Sam Bosco of Claremont, Calif., and Clara Brown of Falmouth, Maine, captured overall world cup titles. Their victories in the WC4 and WC3 road races put an exclamation point on a six-medal day for Team USA.
American teammates Shawn Morelli of Meadville, Pa., Aaron Keith of Woodinville, Wa., and Jamie Whitmore of Somerset, Calif., as well as the handcycle relay team of Travis Gaertner of Burien, Wa, Alicia Dana of Putney, Vt., and Brandon Lyons of St. Augustine, Fla., won medals to push Team USA’s total to 22. The U.S. dominated the overall medal count – the next highest countries tied with 16 apiece – and placing second in the overall gold medal count.
Brown, the defending world champion in the time trial and world championships silver medal in the road race, also took silver in Huntsville in the time trial. Her overall victory was the second of her career.
“It means a lot,” Brown said. “It represents consistency, and just having a strong season from start to finish. It was really exciting to take the title here in Alabama.”
Local Reaction
“This was an incredible weekend of racing, and we are so pleased with how everything turned out,” said Claire Aiello, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. “We thank the teams for coming to Huntsville, and we thank the community for opening their arms to welcome everyone and share a bit of our Southern hospitality. These athletes had heard about our city for a few years from their friends on Team USA and we were so happy to finally have them here.
“The races were intense, and the cyclists are fast,” added Aiello. “These are high-performance athletes who push their bodies to the limit, and fans saw incredible action all along the course. We absolutely loved cheering on the racers from 40 countries. All of the athletes were very complimentary about the course and said they loved hearing from people along different sections, ringing bells, clapping and cheering as they rode by.”
UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup Economic Impact
The UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup wasn’t the only event held in the Rocket City over the weekend. The influx of competitors, families, spectators and sponsors made a significant impact on the area’s economy.
Major League Fishing hosted its Sponsor Pro-Am Tournament on May 22-23. The RunningLane Track Championships took over Milton Frank Stadium on May 26-27. The USTA Southern Pro Circuit Championship lasted the entire week at the Athletic Club of Alabama.
The action in Huntsville was accentuated with home games for Huntsville City FC, a five-game homestand for the Rocket City Trash Pandas, and the popular Cotton Row Run on Memorial Day.
The Para-Cycling Road World Cup brought 3,700 hotel rooms and an economic impact of $2.4 million to the area, with some teams staying more than a week in preparation. Thanks to the efforts by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce and Cummings Research Park, more than 350 athletes represented 40 countries.
Team USA’s road cyclists return to competition for the 2023 road world championships selection event June 14 in Wisconsin.
